Somehow
by Adventures
Summary: Jareth/Toby. Toby has dreamed his whole life of returning to the Labyrinth, and Jareth has an offer that he might not be able to refuse.


I decided that I really love this pairing, Jareth/Toby. I have to admit that this fan fiction is inspired heavily by the manga Return to the Labyrinth. This is my first Labyrinth fic, so please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Labyrinth or its characters.

This fan fiction is told from Toby's POV, in case you couldn't tell.

**Somehow**

I remember stories told to me when I was very little – stories of a place called the Labyrinth. My sister, Sarah, would tell me of Hoggle and Ludo and all of the other fantastic creatures she befriended during her journey to find me. I believed every single word she uttered to me, no matter how outrageous they sounded. Even when our mother tried to convince me that the stories Sarah told me were false, I believed still. I believed for years and years, but when I turned twelve I told my sister that I didn't believe them anymore. I was old enough to understand the difference between fact and fiction.

But in secret, I still believed. I read fantasy books and wrote stories of the Labyrinth at night under the covers. I had dreams almost every single night of going to that place, being with those creatures, and finding my way to the center the way my sister had fifteen years ago. I'm sixteen now, and I still have those dreams.

However, something is very odd about the dreams. There is a man in them that Sarah has never mentioned. He is a tall, blond haired man… with a voice like silver and warm arms that hold me as I sleep. I feel as if I have fallen in love with a man that doesn't exist, a man who I will never meet. I don't even know his name. Sarah assures me that there was no such man in the Labyrinth that she knew, but a part of me thinks she is lying.

* * *

I was getting ready to sleep. I knew that tonight, my dreams would once again be filled with his voice, the feeling of his touch… As I stared out my bedroom window at the full moon overhead, I felt myself saying words that were out of my control. It's as if someone was forcing me to speak, "I wish I could meet that man in my dreams…"

Suddenly, a flash of light filled my room.

I gasped so loud I almost fell over. Not because of the flash of light, but because of what followed it. A tall, dark figure appeared before my window. He had black clothing and leather gloves to match, his hand beckoning me to come to him. I knew immediately who this man was, and I didn't hesitate for a second to fall into his arms.

"My dear Toby…" he whispered to me, welcoming me with an embrace that felt so completely familiar. "Did you think I wouldn't come back for you?"

"Who are you?" I demanded. I had to know. "Please… tell me your name."

"Why, I'm Jareth," he looked at me questioningly, as if I was supposed to know the answer. "Do you not remember me, my love?" I shook my head at this. His smile didn't faded once.

"I dream about you all the time," I said, blushing. I was embarrassed to admit it, considering I had never met him before now. But part of me believed that this whole thing was just another dream anyway, so I had nothing to lose. "I know about the Labyrinth….and…"

"Of course you do, you were there," he interrupted. "You were very young then, though, how do you remember?"

"I don't… I don't have any memories of the Labyrinth. Sarah told me everything." Jareth's smile faded. He was clearly upset at hearing my sister's name. His arms held me tighter, as if to protect me from some invisible monster.

"Ah, Sarah…" The tone in his voice remained calm. "I loved her once…" I was shocked to hear this. I buried myself deeper into his embrace. Somehow, I wanted to be the only one who belonged to him. No matter how much I love my sister, Jareth was special to me. The time I have spent with him in my dreams is more precious than anyone could ever know. "But," he finished, "She disobeyed me. She took you away from me. I have lost interest in your sister."

The warm glow of the moon washed over him and I, cradling us. I wanted to be like this forever.

"You know, Toby," he whispered into my ear. "I can't visit you that often… It's easy for me to come into your dreams because dreams are very tangible and easy to manipulate. But for us to actually be together like this, it's a much different story."

_What do I have to do?_ I wondered. All I wanted was to hold onto this feeling… I wanted to be with Jareth.

"There _is_ one way," he continued. He pulled from his pocket a crystal orb. It was so incredibly shiny and magnificent, unlike anything I had ever seen. He made it dance around his hands, making it seem effortless. I longed to hold the crystal ball for myself, but he wouldn't let me touch it. "It's just a crystal, but it can grant your every desire. Every single thing you want can be yours. Do you want it?"

I reached out for it hungrily, but he held me back still. I became frustrated at him. He had the power to give me what I wanted, and yet he was blatantly refusing to.

"My dear Toby… I love you more than you can imagine. I want nothing more than to grant your every single desire. But while you are living in this world, I cannot do that." Jareth took my hand into his and kissed it gently. "However, if you return to the Labyrinth with me, this crystal… and all of myself… will be yours."

If I returned to the Labyrinth? It was that simple? All I had ever dreamed of was being in the Labyrinth again. I wanted to roam the endless maze and gaze at the gorgeous palace… I wanted to dance in the never ending Masked Ball… Jareth and I had been to the ball countless times in my sleep, but I wanted it for real. I knew deep down that he was simply manipulating me, but I also knew that his love for me was _real_. I could care less of his deeper meaning for wanting me to come with him. All that mattered was that he belonged to me and I belonged to him.

"Of course!" I said. "I want to go with you! Take me to the Labyrinth!"

"Ah, ah, it's not that simple, Toby. If you return to the Labyrinth, you can never come back to this world. You will be there for eternity. Your sister faced this same choice before, and she chose to abandon it. Do you wish to do the same?"

I thought about it. My sister had told me of why she left. She said that it wasn't worth it. The friends she made there would always remain in her heart forever, but her place was at home. She had family here, and that's all that truly mattered. She said that her desires being granted were not as important as the people in this world that needed her. She had to find great strength to leave all of that behind, but it was worth it in the long run.

Despite all of that, I spoke out suddenly.

"I want to be with you, Jareth," I looked up at him, and he was smiling. "I want to go back with you. I don't care about this world."

The crystal orb was tossed at me. As I caught it, Jareth took me back into his arms and away from my bedroom. I knew I would never get to say goodbye to my family or friends here on Earth, but I didn't care. If I didn't say yes to him, I would have spent my whole life wondering what would have been… what I could have had with Jareth. I knew the Labyrinth is where I was meant to be.

When we reached it, an overwhelming sense of belonging came over me. He showed me to the Palace, my new home. As I sat beside him on his thrown, I couldn't help but realize how different I was to my sister. She had found the strength to surpass the Labyrinth. She had found the courage to realize what really mattered. No matter how much I had longed for this, no matter how fitting it seemed in my heart, I know that it was probably the wrong choice. Sarah would come into my bedroom later to find me gone. Our parents would think that I had been kidnapped… killed….

Somehow, it didn't matter to me. My _family_ didn't matter. I had always thought of myself as "the good boy." Sarah had taught me that. She taught me values and lectured me whenever I made bad choices. I always thought I would defy evil when it came to me. But I have learned something here in the Labyrinth -- temptation is the hardest thing to ignore. Jareth tried to tempt my sister into abandoning her home for her dreams, and she found the courage to turn him down. But as a young child, the darkness of this place had crept into my heart and had never really left. I could not find the same courage my sister had.

I left the real world for Jareth. I guess there will always be a place inside of me filled with regret, but somehow he always manages to distract me from it. Every night, I sit beside him as he strokes my hair, telling me stories of places he's been and people he has met... we drink wine in the Goblin Halls and laugh at each other's stupid jokes. We dance for hours in the Eternal Ball. It's the life I have always dreamed of. Somehow, though, it's not enough.

* * *

Ha, ha, I tend to ramble, don't I? I know the fic doesn't make much sense. Hell, at this point, I don't even remember writing it. I just hope no one flames it for it's stupidity. I wrote it in chunks, on different weeks entirely. So the story changes way too much, I know. It's just stupid. Let's leave it at that.


End file.
